morgan smith



(No Model.) I

S. M. SMITH.

' TURBINE WATER WHEEL. 7 No. 383,777. Patented May 29 1888.

. i 5 8 3 A J W/ZILLIZGSSQS S. MORGAN SMITH, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

TURBINE WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,777, dated May 29,1888.

Application filed November 18, 1887. Serial No. 255.532. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, S. MORGAN SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin TurbineWater-IVheels, of which the following is aspeeiticat-ion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved cen tral bearing for the vertical shaft of a turbine waterwvheel, said bearing being especially adapted to besupported upon the convex head of a wooden step.

The objects of my invention are, mainly, to prevent heating andto exclude sand and other grit from between the step and lower end of the wheel-shaft, as will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing my improvement applied to the shaft of a turbine wheel and the step thereof. Fig. 2 is a dianietrical section through the lower end of a wheel-shaft having the concavoconl vex bearing and its connecting-pillars formed integral with said shaft. Fig. 3 is a diametrical section through the improved bearing formed on a tube or shoe adapted to be secured to and detached from the wheel-shaft. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the bearing and its connecting-pillars taken in the plane indicated by dotted line or a: on Fig. 2.

Referring to the annexed drawings by let ter, A designates a turbine water-wheel; B, the frame-work, and O a wooden step having a convex head, a, which parts may be con structed in the usual well-known manner.

D designates the vertical shaft, to which the wheel B is secured in a suitable manner, which shaft is journaled above the wheel in the frame A, and below thiswheel the shaft is supported upon the convex head a of the step 0, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 2 I have represented the improved device, which I am about to describe, integral with the shaft D, and in Fig. 3 I have represented as amodification the device formed on and integral with a tube or thiinble, which is adapted to be rigidly secured in a suitable manner upon the lower end of the wheel-shaft D,and to be removed therefrom when desired.

Fig. 1 shows the device represented by Fig. 3 secured in proper place on the shaft D and supported upon the step 0.

E designates a eoncavo convex circular hearing, which is practically of uniform thickness and made sufficiently thin to subserve the purposes hereinafter explained. This bearing E is preferably of greater. diameter than the di-, ameter of the convex head a ofthestep G, and its bottom concave side is adapted to closely fit the said convex head a, as shown in Fig.1 of the annexed drawings, thereby excluding grit, aud consequently preventing a grinding out of the impinging surfaces when the wheel is in motion.

From the convex top of the bearing E, and rising vertically from the peri meter thereof,are pillars 1), preferably of the shape shown in the cross section, Fig. 4, which pillars are equidistant from each other and of any suitable F height. These pillars,which are integral with the wheel-shaft D, as shown in Fig. 2, and integral with a tubular socket or thin1ble,.as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, leave a cavity, a, between the lower solid end of the shaft D and the top ofthe bearing E, for allowing a free circulation of water when the wheel is in motion, which, by reason of the comparatively thin bearing, will prevent this bearing from heating in consequence of the friction caused by its contact with the wooden step.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 4 that the lower ends of the pillars-b are located outside of the circle indicated by dotted lines on said figure,which circle represents the diameter of the convex head a of the wooden step 0. I thus avoid thickening the metal of the bearing E directly over the said head, and consequently construct the bearing of an even thickness over its point of impingement upon said step and insure coolness of the bearing at all points during the operation of the wheel.

In ractice I prefer to employ a central reeni'orcing post or pillar, b, in the water-circulating cavity 0, which post is shown in Fig. 2 integral with the bearing E and lower end of the wheel-shaft D. In Figs. 1 and 3 the post b is not a part of the said shaft, but affords a central bearing or support for it. It will thus be observed that the essential feature of this invention lies in the fact that I so dispose the supporting-pillars of the shaft that they do not thickness wherever it bears upon the step,

thus insuring an even temperature of the bear ing-plate and the step.

The principal objects I havein view in constructing the bearing-plate E with a convex upper surface is to insure the free circulation of the water as the wheel revolves, and thereby prevent the accumulation of dirt and mud upon the bearing-plate, which accumulations would have a tendency to retard the cooling of r 5 the plate, and also to make the bearing-plate of a uniform thickness throughout to preserve an even temperature.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination, with a step having its upper bearingsurface formed convex, of a vertical shaft, a

bearing-plate, E, concave on its lower face, so

as to fit the upper convex surface of the step,

the said bearing-plate being of greater diameter than the step, and a series of vertical radially-disposed pillars, 1), formed integral with the bearing-plate and adapted to support the 0 vertical shaft, these pillars being formed on the bearing-plate at its perimeter and outside of the radius of the step,whereby the water may circulate freely between the lower end of the shaft and bearing-plate and over all parts of the bearing-plate and keep it at a uniform temperature throughout, substantially as described.

2. In a turbine water-wheel, the combination, with the step having a convex upper bearing-surface, of a bearing-plate, E, of uniform thickness throughout and slightly larger in diameter than the step on which it bears, the said bearing-plate having its lower bearingsurface concave, so as to fit the convex bearing-surface of the step, and its upper surface correspondingly convex to shed or throw off sediment and trash, the radially-disposed pillars formed integral with the bearing'platc outside of the radius of the said step, and the vertical shaft supported by the said pillars, whereby a water-circulating chamber is formed between the lower end of theshaft and the upper surface of the bearing-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

S. MORGAN SMITH.

Witnesses:

CHAS. D DAVIS, JOHN S. FINoH, Jr. 

